Bailey

So easy for them. First half decent attack from them for a while and they cut us apart. Back 4 pulled all over the place and midfield waving the Fulham players through.

Gray should have finished that too. Please dont be one of those days!

Maupay really needed that to go in!

Hmmmm that is a strange looking team with Doucoure and Onana out. It will be interesting to see how that midfield gets on against a very solid Fulham midfield. Fulham's attack looks as bad as ours though as Dan James and Harry Wilson start!

Maybe but it wouldnt be to a decent PL side, it would be as a back-up or promoted type club. He isnt very good, he is just quick and gets up and down the line all day. Technically, defensively, offensively etc he is poor. I disagree completely. Whenever I watch him he is making mistakes but getting away with it. He has been a Championship defender most of his career and he hasn't suddenly improved, he just has one of the best defensive midfielders in front of him and a manager that knows how to organise his team properly. Expose him and he will look as average as he is.

Case being closed doesn't mean that he didn't do it, just that the evidence wasn't strong enough for the CPS to convict. That isn't me saying he wasn't completely innocent but unless information comes to light we will never know. If he was innocent then whoever made the allegations has ruined the final years of his career and his reputation.

I am not sure what to make of Fulham. They seemed to concede plenty of chances when I have seen them only to go down the other end and nick one. I think they are flying far higher than they should be, especially before this recent dip. Players like Ream and Diop aren't great defenders and Robinson is still Championship level (albeit arguably better than Myko). In midfield they have a quality player in Paulinho with a decent support cast in Reed and Perieira. This is where they are strongest and far better than most teams around them, including us. Then out wide you have a resurgent Willian and new boy Soloman who are in really good form. Decodova-Reid keeps hanging around as well and he rarely seems to play a bad game. I don't know anything about their forwards other than Mitrovic, who won't be playing. My tactic would be to nobble Paulinha in the first minute and then they are there for the taking.

Depending on how you look at it, we have another financial problem on the horizon. Gambling sponsors need to be removed from shirts from the 2025-2026 season and they are reported to offer approximately twice as much as non gambling sponsors for teams at our level. At least by then the new stadium should be open.

Its almost like it would be great if there was an analytical tool that measured the quality of the chances each team had?

I massively disagree with that. The lad runs right in front of him and not even that quickly. He just has to stay tight but he switches off, gets caught ball watching and gives him a couple of yards. He does the same (ball watching) earlier in the build up too, just before he fails with the (unnecessary) slide tackle. Its really poor defensive discipline.

If we dont want him as part of the club, it may be our only choice.

Everton 0-0 Fulham None

Oh! In that case, he will more than likely have his contract paid up.

He was the one that let McTominay just run off him but so many players could have stopped that first goal in the build up (including Onana). It was a real mess of a goal to concede.

Hell of a second half from Palace!

The United starting 11 is about as easy as it can get from the players they have. Two of their best players are out of their best position too. Got to have a go at them!

Will be interesting to see how this goes! Suggestion Maguire starts for them.

Whilst I am sure there are examples of managers on gardening leave, I suspect the more common scenario is where deals are done. I imagine the key phrase is in the press release is "mutually agreed". This article shows Tuchel wasnt on gardening leave (others were): https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2022/11/14/thomas-tuchel-has-leave-england-chelsea-sacking-two-staff/ In contrast, it is believed Naglesman is on gardening leave with Bayern and Chelsea will need to negotiate with them to relieve him from his contract as he would technically still be a Bayern employee. With Lampard, I would be almost certain that he wasn't on gardening leave with us nor Dyche with Burnley either (signed a 4 year deal 8 months before he was sacked). But yeh football management is a lucrative business. Get a name somewhere and you can dine out on it time and time again with pay for 2-3 year contracts for 6 months work!

United 0 - 0 Everton None

No idea how this one goes. United were on a roll not that long ago, beat us twice in short succession pretty easily and were talking about title challengers. Whilst they won the league cup, their form since has been poor. They have missed Casemiro, but Eriksen and Martial are back in the squad now and that immediately makes them loads better, and more potent. Aside from how we replace Doucs, I don't see us changing a lot. We will certainly make them work hard for it if they do win.

Assuming he isn't going to have a negative impact on the group, it is probably a no brainer to get him back at the club. If there is still a player in there, I would back Dyche to find it. Another terrible transfer decision by us though.

I guess it depends on what was agreed as part of the termination. I doubt whether managers these days go on gardening leave as such any more. I suspect a severance package is agreed which leaves both parties free to do as they please.

I don't see him being world class with the technique he has. Even someone like Kante, who is known for his energy and defensive ability is technically sound and makes so many good decisions on the ball. I also don't think he dominates midfield. Under Lampard we were getting run through left, right and centre, it is Dyche coming in and the combination of the 3 in midfield that has made our midfield much stronger. I really don't see a midfielder of that type going for £100mil. I know Fernandez has recently but that is just Chelsea being idiots. Rodri went for ~£60mil and I think that will be his type of limit but he still has to improve a lot to get anywhere near that level.